Historically, the making of hand coverings, such as gloves, glove liners or glove inserts, has required the use of skilled labor to manufacture and seam together various complicated uneven panels of patterns to provide a comfortable fit. Presently, most glove patterns, and patterns used to make glove liners and glove inserts, do not lend themselves well, if at all, to automatic seaming methods. Additionally, those patterns which can easily be automatically seamed do not provide a comfortable fit in all of the portions of the glove, liner or insert. Among the various glove patterns presently in use are the Clute Cut Pattern, the Gunn Cut Pattern, the Fourchette or Montpelier Pattern and the Flat Pattern.
The Clute Cut Pattern provides roominess in the finger for good fit by wrapping material around the back or dorsal part of the finger. The front, or palmar panel of the ringer, is cut to a width that approximates the width of the finger plus desired clearances. The back, or dorsal panel of the finger, must be cut to a width that approximates the finger width, as well as two thicknesses of the finger plus desired clearances. The discrepancy in the widths of the dorsal ringer panel and the palmar finger panel requires that the edges of the dorsal panel be carefully placed together with the edges of the palmar finger panel when it is sewn to the palmar finger panel. This alignment of the edges precludes automatic seaming of the finger panels and necessitates the use of skilled labor in assembling the hand covering, which of course, increases the attendant manufacturing cost of such a hand covering.
The Gunn Cut Pattern provides roominess in the finger for good fit by wrapping material around the front of the finger, rather than the back of the finger, as is done in the Clute Cut Pattern. The Gunn Cut Pattern suffers from similar problems in assembly as the Clute Cut Pattern. Similarly, the attendant manufacturing costs of a hand covering made from such a pattern are increased.
In the Fourchette or Montpelier Pattern, roominess in the finger for good fit is provided by material being equally divided between the palm, back and sides of the fingers. This pattern has many panels which must be seamed together to form the hand covering. As with the Clute Cut Pattern and the Gunn Pattern, a Fourchette or Montpelier Pattern hand covering is costly to produce and may not be manufactured by seaming in-the-flat.
The Flat Pattern incorporates palmar and dorsal panels which are the same size. Flat Pattern hand coverings are seamed together "in-the-flat". The front and back panels of the Flat Pattern are each single whole pieces and are generally mirror images of one another. The disadvantage of this Flat Pattern is that it compromises the fit of the hand covering. The quality of a fit achievable by the Flat Pattern is limited by the fact that each half finger portion must have a width at its base and throughout its length that approximates half of the circumference of the finger, plus desired clearance and seam widths, in order to properly fit the finger. Thus, the sum of the widths of each panel at the base of each finger approximates half of the sum of the circumference of each finger, plus desired clearances and eight seam widths, whereas the width of material required to cover the palm of the hand at the base of the fingers is only approximately half of the circumference of the palm, plus desired clearances and two seam widths. Therefore, if the Flat Pattern is used, the sum of the widths of each panel at the base of the fingers includes much more material than is required to enclose the palm and back of the hand. This additional material gathers in the palm or back of the hand covering.
From the foregoing, it should be readily apparent that, although a Flat Pattern hand covering may be easily seamed in-the-flat, (i.e. the Flat Pattern allows for automatic seaming, thereby reducing manufacturing costs) the fit of a hand covering made from this pattern must be compromised by either having the palm fit too loosely, if the fingers fit properly, or by having the fingers fit too tightly, if the palm fits properly.
In any of the hand covering constructions described above, it is sometimes desirable to provide a waterproof insert member or liner to protect the wearer's hand against moisture. Also, it may be desirable to provide a liner which is suitable for protecting a wearer from contact with noxious chemical agents, noxious gases or any other foreign irritants to the human body. Generally, very thin materials are used to fabricate such a liner so as to keep the bulk and stiffness of the liner and the overall glove to a minimum. Rubber and polymer-dipped waterproof liners are not generally acceptable, as they are too stiff, or bulky or have pinholes and/or thin spots, and as such, adversely affect the dexterity, mobility and/or durability of the entire glove assembly.
Materials suitable for waterproof liners presently used in glove constructions include relatively inelastic thin, pliable materials such as a breathable microporous expanded polytetrafiuoroethylene and other suitable breathable and non-breathable films. Other microporous and non-microporous films having similar characteristics are also suitable for liners, either alone or as a laminated construction bonded to other materials, for example, thin stretch nylon fabric. In assembling these materials into a liner, they are heat sealed, adhesively bonded, glued, or the seams are sealed with waterproof tapes. Stitching is generally avoided, as it produces holes in the material which requires further sealing.
Waterproof/breathable liners can be used either alone with an outer glove shell, or in combination with additional insulation to make an insulated and waterproof glove. In the latter construction, the liner is disposed between the outer shell and the inner insulation liner. In all situations, it is necessary that the liner have sufficient size so as not to adversely affect the dexterity, mobility and tactility of the total glove system. Bending of the wearer's hand within the glove requires that the liner, as well as the other parts of the glove, have sufficient length so as to accommodate the bending of the fingers at the knuckle joints without binding of the layers during such movement of the hand.
Although glove systems incorporating inserts or liners made from a Flat Pattern are less costly to manufacture, (i.e., the liners can be completely manufactured by utilizing an automated seam sealingly process thereby significantly reducing the amount of process steps and labor required to produce the liner) such glove systems are often difficult to don. More particularly, in glove systems incorporating Flat Pattern liners, often the excess liner material gathers in horizontal folds in the palm and dorsal region in a fashion which occludes the passageways which lead to the finger portions of the glove shell. Therefore, when a wearer attempts to don such a glove, his fingers become jammed, or otherwise become entangled within this excess liner material causing great discomfort and frustration to the wearer.
In the past, various attempts have been made to overcome this shortcoming. These attempts have included the application of an adhesive material between the insert, or liner, and the outer glove shell. The adhesive material is applied in a fashion to prevent the excess liner material from occluding the finger passageways. Although this type of solution has achieved varying degrees of success, it suffers from many shortcomings which detract from its usefulness. For example, the process of applying the adhesive material is difficult to control. An excess application of adhesive renders the hand covering too stiff or rigid. An insufficient application of adhesive does not permanently solve the initial problem.
Another disadvantage of a Flat Pattern hand covering made from relatively inelastic materials, is that generally, such a hand covering cannot be used in a stand alone application (e.g., a clean room glove). A Flat Pattern stand alone hand covering is aesthetically unappealing and is functionally ineffective, i.e., the excess material of the palm or dorsal portions can reduce the wearer's gripping ability.
In the electronics and pharmaceutical industries, requirements for contamination control in clean room environments have become more and more demanding. Contamination can result from air-borne particles of submicron size or from material transfer from one surface to another. One source of contamination is from the clean room personnel and their associated clothing. Therefore, on-going efforts exist in developing clothing articles, including gloves, that enhance contamination control. Contamination control is provided by a glove when:
1. The glove prevents particles, or other undesired materials from the hand, to pass from the hand to the outside of the glove; PA1 2. The glove can be rendered free of contamination before used by the wearer; and PA1 3. The glove does not, during use, abrade or otherwise break down, and subsequently become a source of contamination. PA1 1. Form-fitting--A glove should be form-fitting, and contoured to the shape of the hand, neither having an undesirable excess and/or a bunching of the material, nor intense tightening upon the hand. PA1 2. Touch--Touch is defined as the array of sensations arising from the pressure sensitivity of the skin. Therefore, desirably the glove should not impair touch or tactility (i.e. the sense of touch) while picking up and handling objects. PA1 3. Dexterity--Dexterity is the skill in using one's hands. A clean room glove should allow for great dexterity. PA1 4. Comfort--The glove should be comfortable during use, it is undesirable to have either an accumulation of sweat inside the glove or have the hand in intimate contact with something that feels "plastic or rubbery." PA1 1. provides contamination control; PA1 2. provides a functional design (i.e.--form-fitting, with good touch and dexterity characteristics); and PA1 3. provides comfort to a wearer.
Workers in a clean room perform numerous operations while wearing gloves. Throughout the day, they must be able to perform these operations reliably and with minimum hindrance by their gloves. They must be able to handle objects, and move their hands and fingers, both freely and delicately. Therefore, desirable glove characteristics, from the wearer's consideration, are as follows:
Thus, taken collectively, the desired clean room glove:
Flat Pattern hand coverings made from relatively inelastic materials have not heretofore been employed in stand alone applications, such as a clean room glove, due to the limitations of fit which have been described hereinabove. It would be desirable to make such a Flat Pattern hand covering because such a hand covering would be significantly less costly to manufacture than a clean room glove made from other type patterns.
The foregoing illustrates limitations known to exist in present hand coverings. Thus, it is apparent that it would be advantageous to provide an improved hand covering directed to overcoming one or more of the limitations set forth above. Accordingly, a suitable alternative is provided including features more fully disclosed hereinafter.